The present disclosure relates to articles of apparel that may be used for protective purposes in athletic activities.
A wide range of articles of apparel are known to be used in various sports. Generally, articles of apparel may be designed to address a variety of issues that may arise when engaging in sporting or exercise activities. For example, articles of apparel may be designed to address comfort, temperature regulation, friction, and protection. In particular, many sports use articles of apparel that include protective padding. Protective padding may be used in order to ensure the wearer's safety in the event of an impact with another player, or an impact with a ball or other sporting equipment.
Articles of apparel with protective padding are usually tailored to the needs of a specific sport. For example, football pads, hockey pads, and lacrosse pads are generally not interchangeable. However, articles of apparel with protective padding such as these may share certain general design goals. Namely, articles of apparel with protective padding generally seek to minimize bulkiness and increase flexibility, while still maintaining the necessary amount of protectiveness.
In general, the goal of providing increased flexibility may be difficult to balance with the goal of providing impact protection. A more flexible pad may transmit an impact force to the body of the wearer, risking potential injury. In contrast, a less flexible (more stiff) pad may absorb the impact force, but the stiffness may hinder the wearer's range of motion. Accordingly, a balance between these two design goals may be reached based on the types of impacts experienced and the necessary range of motion in a particular sport.
An article of apparel that is configured to change its flexibility and impact resistance as needed could potentially address a variety of these issues. Several examples exist in the art of attempts to provide such articles of apparel.
One example is shown in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0182040 to Davidson. The Davidson disclosure is directed to an impact minimization device that uses a sensor or a system of sensors associated with a processor that determines if an impact may occur based upon analysis of information received from the sensors. When the processor determines that an impact is imminent, the processor sends a signal to a trigger that triggers a gas source that inflates an inflatable member. The inflatable member provides protection from the impending impact. The inflatable member may be provided as part of a wearable garment. The disclosure of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0182040 to Davidson is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Another example is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 7,150,048 to Buckman. The Buckman disclosure is directed to a system for impact protection on garments. When the sensors detect the start of a fall, the system quickly activates to protect sensitive areas. The protection may take the form of an inflatable or extendible protective element. For example, when a fall is detected the garment quickly inflates so that the wearer can land on a cushion, as shown in the embodiment with an inflatable pair of shorts. U.S. Pat. No. 7,150,048 to Buckman is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
However, known articles of apparel such as these do not necessarily provide all the advantages that may be desired or needed in order for the article of apparel to be used when playing sports. In particular, professional-level sports may require a certain level of flexibility and a certain level of protection from impact in order to both comply with governing body regulations and to accord with professional players' preferences.
Therefore, there exists a need in the art for an article of apparel with a dynamic padding system that balances the need for flexibility with the need for protection from impacts when engaging in athletic activities.